Hands Outstretched
by HammersNStrings
Summary: An attempt to describe the deaths of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks at the Battle of Hogworts. It's pretty dark, so you've been warned.


**Author's Note: **I've been feeling kind of down for a while, and especially now that DH Part 2 is coming out. In one of the trailers, it shows Tonks reaching out for Remus's hand and looking at him, so I decided that if they don't get a death scene in the movie, this could somehow make up for it in my mind. Basis for a lot of this is the song "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie. Some of the lyrics were borrowed for this fic. I don't own the song they created and I certainly don't own Harry Potter.** WARNING: **Plenty of heartbreak here.

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><p>The orange glow of the protective charms around Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was cracking. Round after round of curses were sent against the defenses of the school, until finally, like acid, the bubble began to singe and dissipate.<p>

Inside the desecrated halls, Bellatrix Lestrange and Anton Dolohov walked with purpose, seeking as many of the young students as they could. Making swift turns and doubling their steps, the two Death Eaters strode confidently, taking perverse pleasure in the joys of killing wandless innocents. As they strode, Bellatrix stopped dead in her tracks and thrust her arm out to stop her partner in this unholy mission.

"Ah yes… I knew that she couldn't resist… even with child, my ickle niecy Tonks has decided to come out and play…"

Dolohov gave her a confused look. "And how could you possibly know that?"

"Blood runs deeper than water, and it just so happens that I can sense a member of the House of Black, even if she's a shape-shifting freak that would make my ancestors vomit at the mere sight of her."

"So what do we do?"

"Well, what are we here to do? I think a little detour couldn't hurt one bit!"

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><p>Nymphadora Tonks sprinted down the hallways of her alma mater, actively searching for her husband. The wolf shaped charm she wore on her bracelet still glowed, which meant the owner of the twin was still alive. She breathed a sigh of relief and continued to follow his heading. She continued to sprint down the hallway and came to the intersection.<p>

Striding around the corner, with a cold grimace plastered onto his face, was Remus Lupin. Tonks' eyes grew wide, drinking in the image of her lover. Remus responded in turn, the frown melting off his face. Warmth flooded his eyes. The couple rushed toward each other, racing for the intersection to finally be in each others' arms.

"_Expelliarmus!"_

The wands the two so fervently gripped suddenly flew from their hands and into the air. Remus watched in sickening horror as their wands fell into the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. Anton Dolohov spun around the corner, seeing the disarmed couple.

"_Immobulis!"_

Any hopes of an escape from the two had faded away. Bellatrix cackled in delight while Dolohov proudly attempted to boast to his disarmed and disabled enemy.

But all the two could do was turn their heads, defying the will of their captors. Despite the binds of the twin curses, the two lovers, only a foot apart, reached out for each other. Their arms extended, fingertips aching with the desire for one last caress.

Remus and his Nymphadora painfully turned their heads, wincing at the punishment for their rebellion. His steel gray eyes met hers. He attempted a soft, comforting smile as he gazed into them, those twinkling, dark enchantments that left him speechless many a time. But now, he knew, was not a time for silence.

His voice was throaty, the cries of battle having weakened it. "'Dora, my love… the time for sleep is now…"

He felt the sting of tears at his eyelids, allowing them to freely fall down his face. He could see the small tracks glisten down his wife's face, further accentuating the beautiful heart-shaped face he fell in love with.

"It's… nothing to cry about… because we'll hold each other soon."

His fingertips were so close to hers. Remus urged himself to pull forward… just another small bit…

Remus's voice momentarily regained the ability to speak in the softest of tones Nymphadora held so dear. "I love you, my sweetest of angels."

Her voice came out in nearly a whisper, but he could drink in every word. "I love you, my wonderful husband."

Together, they closed their eyes, satisfied in knowing the last image burned into their memories were those of each others' faces, not frozen in fear or self-pity, but in the softest of smiles as they reached further toward each other.

They did not see, and they did not care to see, the twin bolts of malevolent green light erupt from the wand tips of their captors. The intent of the curses was obvious; their aim was true. Life instantaneously drained from the loving couple. They collapsed to the ground together. The perky metamorphmagus that brought life to even the dullest of situations with the mere trip over her own shoes; the intellectual and morally true _man_, his personality always shining above his beastly curse; both lay in eternal rest.

The remorseless Death Eaters sneered in satisfaction at their deed. There was no need to check for survival. They turned on their heels and stormed the other way, the murderous joy of the kill briefly sating their appetite for death and destruction.

The husband and wife they left behind seemed to be in a peaceful sleep, their fingertips resting only millimeters apart from one another.

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><p>Arthur Weasley stormed through the castle, looking for his wife and children. He looked down among the rubble and spotted the faintest of pink colours. It took him a moment to fully comprehend the sight.<p>

"No."

He went to shake the girl. She was just married! Just birthed a child! There could be no way that such an innocent young babe could be without his mother. He shook violently at her robes, urging her to awaken.

"No!"

He looked over to the body next to her, his grief amplifying. It couldn't be. Both of them… the metamorphmagus and the werewolf… the happy husband and the glowing wife… the mother and father of the beautiful child… both gone.

"NO!"

He quickly sprinted away from the two bodies, the grief and anger overwhelming him. He ran until his legs hurt, until he came across his wife. He scooped her into a hug and let the tears fall freely onto her shoulder. After composing himself, he looked for another able-bodied man who could help bring the fallen couple to the Great Hall.

He gently laid them both down onto a table. If their eyes had been open, it would have shown a magnificent view of the ceiling, boasting a pink coloured full moon in its lament. Arthur took one last look at his fallen comrades and frowned. He reached out and took his ringed hand and gently intertwined Remus's fingers into Dora's. 'You will never be without each other," he thought with one last look at them.

At last, a gentle wind caressed their faces. The prematurely gray locks and the strands of slowly browning pink hair ruffled ever so slightly as cries of joy rang out among those who were gathered. The terror was over, but the rebuilding had just begun.

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><p>In the gently rolling hills of the English countryside, Andromeda Tonks held vigil until morning, waiting and praying for the return of her daughter and son-in-law. Tears streamed down her face as she scooped Teddy from his cradle and carried him outside.<p>

The wind softly tousled the youngest Lupin's turquoise hair. He gurgled with unaware happiness at the softest of touches… the feeling of a motherly embrace, all through this gentle breeze.

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><p><strong>Postscript: <strong>So there it is. I wasn't able to make it through this without crying, so hopefully that means it served its purpose. I'm going to try to go back to writing my normal fluffy Remus/Tonks stuff soon. I just have to find the right spark, but as I said, this was just brought about by a lot of negative feelings.


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